God-Kissed: Book 1 (The Apprentices)

by Clark Bolton

  The giant had just then bent down to load a stone into a sling it had pulled from it belt. They guessed the stone to be the size of a man’s head, so rather than attacking the giant, Autbek made the split second decision to put up a shield spell above the party.

  “PSSST! PSSST!” Two of Haspeth’s arcane missiles struck one of the charging wolves but it seemed un-phased by the pain.

  “THUD!” The massive sling-stone hurled by the giant glanced off an invisible barrier above the party. The girls screamed at the impact but no one was injured.

  As the wolves closed two more Murac’s suddenly sprang into existence next to the original and the wolf, unfortunately for it, it picked the wrong one allowing the true Murac an open attack from the side. He pierced the beast with his long sword trying to strike its heart as his mirror image was savaged out of existence.

  Luzac took the charge of the other wolf but with dwarven tactics. Quick as a snake he dropped at the very last moment to his back with his small buckler thrust at the wolf’s maw. With a vicious swing of his battle axe he inflicted a great wound upon the wolf’s forepaw. The wolf yelped sharply as it sprang back allowing Luzac to strike a second blow which glanced off the wolf’s neck.

  “THUD!” A second sling-stone struck the invisible barrier.

  “PSSST! PSSST!” Haspeth sank two more missiles into Luzac’s wolf which drove the creature off leaving Luzac free for the moment.

  “Another!” Berdtom cried as he pointed and then charged up the steep side of the ravine at the second giant. This one was in the process of hefting a bolder up to throw down at the party.

  The giant turned its attention to the charging Berdtom who looked now to be an easy target and perhaps would have been had not Negorch hurled his axe. It was a tremendous throw and doomed to fail but it did cause the giant to step back to avoid the whirling blade, and then another moment to regain its balance.

  “PSSST!” This arcane-missile surprised everyone except Onaleen and Pemmesa, who had seen Resbeka pull a scroll out and cast from it. The missile struck the second giant in the face, again causing it to pause at it roared in rage.

  “ARRRGHHH!”

  Autbek realized he had not attacked the first giant because it would be too much like attacking a man, but as the third massive sling-stone struck his shield barrier, a rage took him.

  “THUD!” This sling-stone nearly hit Autbek and Onaleen as the barrier seemed to be weakening; then a pea-sized cinder streaked from Autbek’s finger to strike the first giant as it reloaded its sling.

  “DOOMMMMM!” The whole campsite was engulfed in a ball of fire that knocked the giant to the ground. It did not kill the giant though, as Autbek could see it now scrambling in shock to its feet amidst the now burning campsite.

  “SSSSSSHIIIIZZZZ!” A shower of sparks streamed from Haspeth’s hands at the second giant. The sparks blinded and burned the giant causing it to drop the boulder it was about to smash onto Berdtom who had yet to reach the top of the small ridge.

  Still in a rage Autbek looked to Murac and Luzac, who had all but dispatched the remaining wolf, then he turned to help Berdtom. “CRAAAACKKK!” The lightning bolt he hurled at the giant literally knocked it back out of sight.

  The party then watched in apprehension as Berdtom disappeared over the crest of the ridge. After a tense minute he returned with a bloody sword and signaled an end to the giant just as Negorch began rushing up to join him.

  “One more giant and one more wolf!” Autbek growled as he walked quickly toward the burning camp with a murderous look on his face.

  Haspeth quickly followed and when the two of them saw the pile of human skulls neatly stacked up on one side of the camp, they did not hesitate. The first giant was naked now, as his clothes had been burned off as had much of its skin. The creature still had its mace and was limping as it tried to make its escape up a steep sided gully.

  “PSSST, PSSST, PSSST, PSSST, PSSST, PSSST, PSSST! The shower of arcane missiles the two mages rained down upon the giant ended its reign of terror forever.

  Murac called for them all to regroup near the campsite, and when there seemed to be no sign of the remaining injured wolf, nor any other danger, they rested. Not for long did the dwarves sit, as they began to speculate about treasure.

  “Bound to be here somewhere!” Luzac asserted as he poked about the burnt remains of the camp. Autbek and the others watched quietly for a while as the two dwarves began systematically searching.

  “Is everyone ok?” Autbek asked of Onaleen as she came to sit with him.

  “Mostly, Murac has some gashes on his arms and Luzac is bleeding a bit, but as you can see, O’t, it’s not slowing them down any.” She pointed to Luzac and Murac, who together were now overturning some heavy items in their quest for gold.

  Berdtom worked to clean his sword as he watched the search. “O’t, can you help them find their gold, or at least assure them there is none!”

  Luzac scoffed at the idea that there might be none. “... Oh … it’s here … those damn big blokes always have it … they love the stuff!”

  “As opposed to dwarves!” Berdtom called back with a chuckle.

  “You don’t want your share … is that what I hear captain?” Luzac said, half serious.

  “Now that my friend, will depend on how much there is!”

  Autbek shook his head, unable to feel much brevity. His hands were still shaking and his mind was exhausted but he paid both no mind has he pulled the locator from his pack. “Ok! I need everyone over to this side, so this does not point to the gold you carry.”

  The dwarves moved the quickest and so soon he was able to place a coin onto the locator and then cast the location spell. It pointed to a pile of huge rocks, that to Autbek, looked natural but not so to the dwarves once it was brought to their attention.

  Luzac and Negorch took but a few moments to determine the giants had frequently disturbed the pile and so there was likely something under it. With help from Murac they began trying various methods to budge the rocks. Finally with some help from levitate spells cast by Haspeth they made progress.

  “Yes! Alright!” Haspeth crowed as they uncovered some sacks.

  “Hope they’re not filled with scorpions!” Castor commented as he stood eagerly by.

  Autbek found it a bit exciting at the prospect of treasure but not enough to help out unless really needed. Everyone else thought to came over to see what the dwarves had uncovered.

  The air was soon filled with the rattle of coins followed by cries of joy as some of the sacks turned out to be filled with copper coins, peppered with occasional silver and even a few gold.

  “Great!” Autbek exclaimed. “Who’s going to carry all that!” He asked as the dwarves and the girls began methodically separating the coins.

  “What’s his problem?” Luzac whispered to Onaleen, obviously concerned that anyone would even think of not carrying it all back with them.

  “Rich kid.” She whispered back at him.

  “Huh! No dwarf ever be that rich to leave treasure behind.”

  Autbek ignored their comments as he held his nose against the constant stink of the place. He could see Haspeth and Castor had found something interesting.

  “Hey, O’t!This radiates magic!” Haspeth exclaimed as he examined a rounded piece of something that looked to be wood but was of an odd white color. It appeared to be a handle for something, though there was no place to attach a blade or anything else.

  Murac looked at it for a moment. “It’s ivory; likely they just thought it valuable.”

  Haspeth took it back. “Ivory, you mean like from one of those elephant things?”

  “Whale or maybe a walrus.”

  “What’s a walrus?” No one would answer Haspeth so he went back to trying to read the runes that were carved on it.

  All in all they had discovered hundreds of shiny buttons, silverware, jewelry, a few odd items of silver, a couple thousand copper coins, seven hundred silver coins, and nearly t
wo hundred gold coins. It took some talking but the rest of the group convinced the dwarves to leave some of the heavier stuff, and all the buttons behind.

  Murac was very upbeat as they began walking out of the ravine. “This cabal of yours is finally starting to pay off, O’t!”

  Haspeth chimed in immediately. “Yes, and I’m going to buy me one fine horse with my share when I get back. One of those big chargers like those knights ride; girls love them.” He said turning to Castor.

  “Don’t forget one for your mom.” Castor said with tongue in cheek.

  “I will … I ain’t forgot!” Haspeth replied, a little hurt by the comment.

  The next day they caught sight of the city and the ocean beyond. After that they came upon some abandoned huts that looked to be for sheepherders and the like and then later on they saw some flocks of sheep and goats. They kept away from the herders who spooked at their approach. Finally they got close enough to ask one what the name of the city was.

  “Urbourkas.” Was the reply, which brought a smile to everyone’s face. Though Murac and the dwarves had been confident that they were in the land of Irgalash it was good even for them to hear confirmation of it.

  It took another day to find a proper road and half a day after that to reach the edge of the small city. They spoke no Urbourkas so used language spells to compensate and so soon they were allowed into the city where they secured supplies and several donkeys. They were rich by Urbourkas standards but choose not to buy horses for fear of drawing attention to themselves and besides half the party was composed of poor riders.

  They spent only one night in an inn before heading up the road to where they learned the monastery was located. The trip was estimated by the locals to take about three days, which would leave only about two weeks to make it from Urbourkas Monastery to the rendezvous point.

  If no flying ship showed they planned to walk back to Urbourkas and hire passage from there, knowing that it would be a long time before they saw Astrum again. No one cared to discuss the fact that they were relying heavily on the Bone-Cutter to delivery Autbek’s letter, and even if the captain did that, it still did not mean someone would agree to pick them up.

  Traffic along the road to the monastery was sparse as was the landscape, which was composed mostly of grass and scrub brush. “A place only a goat would like!” Resbeka had commented. Autbek thought her successful spell casting grand, and had told her as much, and this helped draw the girl out a bit he noticed.

  Most travelers they encountered did not have much to say and they found little presence with respect to men-at-arms and the like. “Apparently they don’t have much of a king.” Berdtom had remarked to Murac.

  “You got that right; as I said before they are a dead people, they just don’t know it.”

  Onaleen decided to stand up for them, particularly after meeting a few kind children. “I find some of them ok, just a bit odd and sort of sad. Maybe they just need a prince or someone to show them the way.”

  “Got anybody in mind?” Autbek asked with a smile. He then stopped short as he noticed they had reached the village reported to be just below the monastery.

  “About time!” Haspeth exclaimed as he tugged on the reins of his donkey. “tired of walking, tired of donkey’s, tired of wolves, tired of-”

  “Talking! Are you tired of talking?” Castor demanded to know as he picked up the pace to pass Haspeth up and join Murac at the front of the party. Lita chuckled lightly at Castor’s comment from atop Haspeth’s donkey where she had spent most of the last three days.

  Autbek watched her endless humor play out, and as always it was in support of Castor. The two were inseparable, and though Lita contributed little for the most part, she was never a burden to anyone, including apparently this donkey.

  The village was actually larger than they expected and when Castor pointed out the white walls of the monastery halfway up the mountain they all felt energized. They had to pass through the village to get there but that turned out to be a nonevent. Few people waved or even watched them much as they wandered by. Except for the children, they seemed very uninterested in visitors.

  Chapter 29

  Urbourkas Monastery was another hour past the village and from what the party gathered was an old and venerated place that all in Irgalash had heard of but never visited. As they approached they saw why it had stood for so many centuries. The walls were fused into the cliff face on either side, with the whole structure apparently blocking access to a small valley beyond.

  As they approached the wall they estimated its height at over thirty paces. The only thing out of place was the great stone door, and that only because of its darker color. The door was sealed into the rock of the wall with no sign of a latch or even a peephole.

  Berdtom called out to Castor. “Time now for your best illusion.” With that said Castor stopped and then transformed himself into the very likeness of Tenric.

  “That is most impressive!” Haspeth commented.

  Their plan was to use the letters they had brought from the library, the very ones they thought Tenric had used to gain entrance before. They did not have many details on what had happened but Neustus had been confident it would work.

  “Haspeth, you’re the loudest.” Murac said as he called a halt.He then motioned for Haspeth to walk up to the gate.

  Haspeth shrugged and proceeded forward. When he reached the gate he called up to the top of the wall. “My master has returned to speak with the abbot!”

  There was no reply even after he repeated it several times, or sign that anyone had heard him. He suggested casting a levitate spell but Murac and Berdtom would not hear of it. “Wait! This may take time.” With that they sat down on the road and waited.

  After more than an hour and a half and a dozen repeated calls Haspeth finally got a response from above though no one could understand the faint reply. Finally a small basket was lowered into which Haspeth placed the letters they had brought. “Hope this works.” He muttered as they all watched the basket ascend.

  Again they waited, this time for a couple hours before they heard the screech of the door opening. Through its doorway they could see into a large courtyard and view a number of monks, all unarmed and all looking rather aged.

  “Master?” Haspeth said questioningly to Castor.

  Castor simply motioned for Haspeth to proceed which he did. The whole party including the donkeys proceeded into the courtyard where they were greeted by the senior monks.

  Autbek’s heart calmed a little when it became obvious they remembered Tenric and so invited Castor into one of their large halls. At that point Berdtom took over the conversation, explaining to the monks why they come and so why the monastery should hand over the remains of the two Dieknotkow that had died here prior to Tenric’s first arrival.

  “We are friends of the remaining Dieknotkow who has authorized us to collect the bodies!” Berdtom told the old abbot several times. Each time he got only a smile.

  Finally one of the senior monks pointed to the valley above the monastery and explained that they were sent there long ago, even before their time and that they could not allow anyone to disturb their rest.

  Berdtom had everyone come over away from the monks to discuss things. “I doubt we'll ever get permission to enter their crypts or whatever lies in the valley above. Now I have not seen any weapons or anyone who looks to be able to wield one, so it may be time to simply head up the valley.”

  Murac agreed. “Not likely they will try to stop us, but I do think they will send word to the village for aid.”

  Autbek furrowed his brow. “How long will that take to arrive you think?”

  “Long time by the looks of it. We would have many hours I think before anybody showed but remember that village is the only way out of here.”

  Luzac suggested they think about going down the side of the mountain. “We have the rope for it, and the mages can spell us down if need be!”

  With no better ideas they
decided to don their packs in case they could not return this way. They would have to leave the donkeys and much of the supplies but that could be replaced. “How long would it take us from here, Murac, if we had to go across the hills instead of the roads.” Berdtom asked.

  “At least two weeks by what I’ve seen of the things and that puts us right up against the rendezvous time!”

  “Best go now then, and count on only half a day up there in the valley, tomorrow noon at most.”

  With that they sent Castor and Lita to sneak out and have a look about while the rest of them continued to occupy the monks. The monks seemed not to take notice that part of the party had gone missing, particularly Tenric. After a few minutes Berdtom had them assemble near the donkeys and to collect all that they could carry.

  Castor came back looking his old self. “There is only one gate, there at the end of the courtyard. Beyond that is valley with gardens in it that go on for a ways.”

  Murac nodded and then pulled his pack onto his shoulders and proceeded toward the back gate. There they found a door much like the one at the front. “Can you open this, O’t?” he asked as he stared at the complex lock. It had several small levers and a number of steel cogs.

  Autbek stepped up and cast an open locks spell. “Huh! Not working … let me try again!” His second attempt also failed.

  “Fine, we go over the wall, up there!” Murac then proceeded to a set of stairs that ran up along the wall. He had the dwarves secure two ropes then he and Haspeth went down.

  “Why me first?” Haspeth muttered as he took his first step over the wall. He regretted now not casting a levitate spell but he had wanted to conserve his energy.

  Autbek watched them descend the high wall and then turned to see the monks reactions. So far they were only looking and had not even called out for them to stop. He then went down with Onaleen, and then took a look around as the others descended.